Paddling under Palmettos — page 27: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

24 Paddling Under Palmettos. instantly sink, inclosing the unlucky fish with the net. The heavy cord attached to the leading-strings is then drawn quickly, the net assumes the manner of a purse, and the fish are safe. It requires some practice to cast successfully, but later on, when opportunities were plentiful, Archie took a few lessons from his companions, who were proficient in the art, and learned to do the thing with credit. After many casts, about two dozen small mullet yielded to Dick’s prowess. These he cleaned and prepared for the pan. Several pieces of fat salt pork were tried out in the frying pan first of all, after which he rolled each fish in cracker crumbs and dropped them into the pan. when a tremendous sputtering began. The boys declared the supper fit for a king, when the small mullet, browned and crisp, had utterly van- ished. When it was over they took the tin platters and cups, filled them with wet sand, rubbed this with the gray moss that hung from the live oaks and cy-. press trees, and had the dishes cleaned in a trice. (E@NMIEL OOO KS (E(@)